The Angels Ascendant
by Darth Brando
Summary: Part 2 of the Doctor Who-Hunger Games series. Sequel to The Three Hunters. When the trio lands in ancient Delphi they find an Olympic-like tournament in which the greatest athletes in Greece compete for the honor of living as Gods. Instead, they become victims of the Weeping Angels. The Doctor, Katniss, and Peeta must find a way to stop the Angels before they change history
1. Prolouge

**Delphi, 792 BC**

* * *

The crowd cheers loudly and the sound echoes off the mountains. In the arena, two runners march to a low stone line placed at one end of the stadium. As the runners take their positions, a man in a black chiton trimmed with gold steps out into the middle of the arena and holds up his hands.

The crowd quickly quiets down as all the attention focuses on the man in the black chiton. "Citizens!" he says loudly. "Today we present our two greatest runners for the ritual demanded by Medusa and her Angels!"

The man is interrupted by a roar of approval from the audience, but he quickly silences them with a wave of his hands before he continues. "As you know, the victor will be taken to the labyrinth where he will ascend to Mount Olympus to live with the Gods forever!"

The crowd cheers again, and many people start chanting the name of the runner he or she prefers. The runners take their positions, each bracing a leg against the stone line and placing both hands on the ground.

"For the glory of the Gods!" shouts the man in the black chiton.

"For the glory of the Gods!" chants the crowd.

"For the glory of Medusa and her Angels!" the man in the black chiton shouts.

"For the glory of Medusa and her Angels!" the crowd chants back.

"Runners, on my mark!" yells the man.

There is dead silence as everyone waits for the man to speak again. He gazes around the stadium before turning his attention back to the runners.

"Go!" he screams.

The runners push themselves off the stone line and run as fast as they can. The crowd screams and chants louder and louder as the two runners reach the line.

The crowd screams as one of the runners crosses the line first. He pumps his fists into the air and lets out a shout of pure joy. The crowd starts chanting his name as the man in the black chiton leads him to the entrance of a dark tunnel.

"Your reward awaits inside," says the man handing the runner a lit torch. "May the Gods accept you with open arms."

The runner turns and waves to the crowd one last time before stepping into the darkness. For several minutes, he winds through the tunnel.

Finally, he arrives at a large chamber full of statues. Most of them look like athletes, but a few look like commoners. He examines them more closely, but he is interrupted by the sound of flapping wings. He looks up in confusion, unsure of how a bird got this deep in the tunnel.

Seeing nothing, he turns around. The last thing he sees before his torch goes out is a statue of an Angel.


	2. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

The interior of the TARDIS falls silent and stops shaking at last. Slowly, I relax my grip on the railing. When I do, my knees buckle. Instantly, Peeta's strong hands are there holding me up.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks.

I can only nod, not trusting myself to speak. The trip has left me dizzy and slightly nauseous. It passes quickly. After another minute, I am surer of my footing. I adjust the quiver on my back then step down the stairs to where the Doctor waits for us by the door.

"Coming?" he asks looking back at us. Before we can answer, he takes his hat and what looks like a red ribbon off a peg and steps outside.

"Are you sure about this?" asks Peeta quietly.

"Yes," I whisper. I didn't want to think about what I will do if what the Doctor has said about traveling through time isn't true.

If what he said was true, I have to find a way to save my father who had died in a mining accident when I was young, and my sister who had died in the rebel's attack on the Capitol. I reach the door, and grasp the handle. But I hesitate and look at Peeta.

"Together?" I ask, not wanting to face the disappointment alone.

Peeta nods. "Together," he says, grabbing handle of the other door.

We pull the doors and step outside. I know immediately that we are far from where we started. Before, we were in the meadow at the edge of the woods, but now we are on top of a mountain.

Below us is a tight, winding valley. Hugging the wall of the mountain are stone buildings of various sizes, all with red tiled roofs. Walking on paths between the buildings are people. Each of them wears a chiton, but before I can take in anymore, the Doctor speaks.

"We have a slight problem," he says, sounding apologetic.

"What?" I ask turning quickly, expecting danger.

"This isn't Rome," says the Doctor. "It's Delphi. We're in Greece."

"I thought you said you could go anywhere," I say, already seeing my plan to save my sister and father failing.

"I can," he responds. "But the TARDIS takes me where I need to be even if it's not where I intended to go."

"How can it do that?" Peeta asks.

"It's a long, complicated explanation," the Doctor answers. "It involves a lot of wibbly-wobbly stuff and for some reason a stuffed parrot. No, wait that was something else. To put it simply, the TARDIS has an alarm thingy and takes me places when there's trouble." He hesitates for a moment before adding, "Or I put in the wrong coordinates."

"Okay, fine, we're not in Rome," I say. "But where and when are we?"

"Sometime between the late 7th and early 8th century BCE," he responds. "This is about five to six thousand years before your time. Delphi is where the temple of Apollo the Sun God and where the Oracle is. People come from all over the world to have their futures told."

"So the future is set?" I ask. "Everything that ever happened couldn't have happened any other way?"

"No," says the Doctor as he starts walking down the path towards Delphi. "The future is always in motion. It's always changing. What happens is a result of how you react to what others do."

"So can the past change too?" I ask, almost letting my eagerness show.

"Of course," says the Doctor. "But that changes everything else too. Think of it like a bowl of water. If you create ripples, then create more ripples, the resulting ripples are different altogether."

How that might change everything else isn't important to me. Because now I know that the past can be changed. Now I know that it is possible to save my father and Prim. As I follow the Doctor down the path, the decision to go with him seems better with each step.

As we wind our way down the path, I get a better look at the Doctor's jacket. Though it is the same brown color as my leather jacket, the Doctor's isn't made out of leather like I initially thought. Instead, it's made of a material that I can't identify.

The ribbon he grabbed earlier, he is now tying around his neck. With a few quick movements, he turns the ribbon into a bowtie. Now I know he isn't from Panem, or at least he isn't from one of the Districts.

Bowties are incredibly rare, usually only being worn by the groom at weddings in the Capitol. The Doctor however seems to wear it because he wants to. I make a mental note to ask him about it later. For now, I am taking in the sights of this strange new place.

As we reach the end of the path, we encounter two other travelers heading up the path. What I immediately notice is that each has a bow and quiver. When the larger of the pair sees me, a scowl crosses his face. He mutters something to his companion before turning back to face me.

The larger one changes direction and approaches me threateningly. I let my bow slide slowly off my shoulder and into my left hand. With my right, I casually place a hand on one of my arrows, ready to load and fire if I have too.

This seems to make him angrier, and he starts to shout at me, jabbing his finger at me in an accusing manner, though his words are addressed to the Doctor, not to me.

"She is a woman!" the archer shouts.

"Oh really?" says the Doctor dryly. "I hadn't noticed."

"She should not have a bow! Only men should have bows!" the archer shouts. "Give her bow to me!"

Before anyone can speak, I have loaded an arrow and aimed it between the archer's eyes. We glare at each other, both of us refusing to blink. I am determined to win this battle of wills.

Before I can decide whether or not it would be worth it to release my arrow, the Doctor steps between me and the archer. He shoots me a look that clearly indicates that I shouldn't speak. He turns back to the man.

"I apologize for my companion's temper," he says.

I snort. "He started it," I say. The archer growls at me.

"Regardless, I'm ending it before someone ends up with an arrow in the knee," says the Doctor.

"Not until I have her bow," the archer spits.

At this point, the man's companion steps forward. "How about a compromise?" he asks. His voice is light and clear and sounds like he is going to burst into song. "She can compete in the archery contest tomorrow. If she wins against you, she keeps her bow and you give her yours. If she loses, she gives hers to you."

The archer throws his head back and laughs. "No woman can beat me!" he says, laughing.

I've had enough of this 'woman' business. I put my face close to the archer's, making sure he can see me. "My name is Katniss," I spit at him. "And I accept your challenge." I add to the archer's companion.

"Wonderful!" says the companion. The archer snorts like an angry boar then storms off. "The tournament starts at noon tomorrow. It's in the arena at the top. But you probably knew that already."

"Tournament?" the Doctor asks. "An archery tournament in Delphi?"

The man nods. "It's not the only tournament though," he says. "They've already done javelin throwing, wrestling, and a couple others. The winners are all selected to enter the labyrinth that leads to Mount Olympus where they live as Gods forever." The man swells with pride as he adds: "My brother was victorious in running and went to join the Gods. I hope to join him as well.

"Is it the Olympics then?" asks the Doctor.

"Of a sort," says the man. "But if you'll excuse me, I need to practice." He jogs up the hill after his irritable friend.

I turn back to face the Doctor and Peeta. Peeta looks amused, but the Doctor's face is a mask of concentration.

"I don't remember the Olympics ever being in Delphi," he says. "And I should know, I've been to all of them at least twice. Loved the London 2012. I got to carry the torch." The Doctor says swelling up with pride. The look fades quickly. "Granted, it was to save the entire world for the thousandth time." He looks around for a moment, his face furrowed in concentration.

"Oh, of course!" He blurts out. "The Pythian Games! Held in Delphi every four years to commemorate Apollo's defeat of Python. I've never heard anything about the servants of the Gods though."

"I'll let you come with me when I win," I say.

"I've seen her shoot moving targets that most people wouldn't even notice," says Peeta to the Doctor. "She'll win that tournament easily."

"It doesn't start until tomorrow though," I point out. Though I won't admit it, I'm looking forward to the tournament. "What do we do until then?"

"Well, we could have a look around," says the Doctor. "There's plenty to see, if you're interested."

Though I would rather practice, I decide that taking a tour of this strange new, or rather old, city sounds interesting. I sling my bow over my shoulder again, and take hold of Peeta's hand. "Lead on," I say to the Doctor.


	3. The Oracle

Our tour of Delphi takes several hours. Most of it is a blur of sights, sounds, and scents. Though the Doctor will occasionally mention a bit of information about Delphi, he generally lets us enjoy the experience. We even attend a play in the lyceum, though I doze through most of it. It wasn't terribly exciting, but it was an interesting experience.

Throughout the day, I do take note of the massive building situated at the center of Delphi. Everything about it seems designed to draw attention to itself. Finally, I ask the Doctor to take us to it, and he gladly obliges.

The building is made of the same white stone as all the other buildings, but this one is adorned with brightly colored sculptures and reliefs placed around the ceiling. The tops of the pillars are trimmed with gold, and the pillars themselves are painted a deep red.

"The Temple of Apollo, the Sun God," explains the Doctor without being prompted. "It's where the Oracle makes prophecies and tells people the future. But only if those seeking an audience with her make the proper sacrifices and that usually includes a generous donation."

I am curious about his oracle. "Can we have our future told?" I ask.

"I could tell you that," says Peeta. "We live together happily to a ripe old age, surrounded by our children and grandchildren."

"I told you, I don't want children," I say. Peeta has tried to talk me into having children since we got married three years ago. He wants them so badly, but still I refuse to have any.

I always feel like the threat of the Hunger Games is still real and that any children I have will be picked to go into the nightmarish Arena. I also don't want to talk about something so private with a stranger around.

"They aren't that bad," says the Doctor. "I was a father once." But he stops speaking, as if the memory pains him.

"You had children?" Peeta asks. "What happened to them?"

The Doctor looks off into the distance. "They're gone, all of them, gone forever," He turns back to us. "But that was a long time ago. Anyway, you wanted to see the Oracle? Then let's go meet her." He bounds up the steps and into the temple before Peeta or I can ask any questions.

Though this time, I do not think I will ask anything. I know how it feels, losing people I care about. It is something that even years later I have a difficult time talking about. But I do want to know why he hasn't gone back in time to save them.

Maybe it's because he can't. I force that particular thought out of my mind. I am still clinging to the hope that I can save Prim and my father. And if I can't do that, then despite all the amazing things I'm sure the Doctor could show us, travelling with him would be a constant reminder that there is nothing I can do.

And I refuse to accept that. I refuse to accept that it is impossible to save them. Instead, I will plan out a way to save them. With some help from Peeta, it shouldn't be difficult. It's the Doctor's reaction that I'm not sure about. I'll need to learn more about him before I decide whether or not to ask him. For now though, I will travel with him and get to know him.

"Coming?" The Doctor asks from the top of the stairs. In answer, Peeta and I follow the Doctor into the temple.

The interior of the Temple is lit by torches that hang from the uniform columns on both sides. At the far end is a doorway behind an altar. It is surrounded by statues of various sizes, and a plethora of other objects. Several people are leaving things at the altar, kneeling for a moment, then standing and moving to a line outside the door. Men in black, gold-trimmed robes are walking down the line, talking to each person.

The Doctor approaches one, pulling a black cover that holds a blank piece of paper from his jacket pocket. He waves the paper in front of one of the robed men, and the two exchange words. Finally the robed man bows and approaches us.

"On behalf of Apollo, we thank you for your generous sacrifice," he says. "If you are ready, I can take you to the Oracle now."

Not sure what he's talking about, I glance to the Doctor. He just gives me a grin and thumbs up before he mouths what looks like 'golden apples'. I look to Peeta, but he just shrugs. I sigh internally. I have yet another question I want to ask the Doctor. Not that it will do much good to have it answered. Most of the answers seem to raise more questions.

"I'm ready," I say.

"Ready," Peeta agrees.

"I'll wait for you here," says the Doctor to us as we pass. I think more than anything, he wants to go into the room, but also wants us to have this experience for ourselves.

When we reach the curtained doorway at the back, the robed man pulls aside the curtain and ushers us in, though he does not follow. Instead, he lets the curtain fall back into place. Uncertain of what to expect, I slide my bow off my shoulder and into my hand. With Peeta at my side, I slowly approach an elaborately carved stone set into the wall.

The stone has a large hole, and from it I hear a woman's voice. I assume it is the Oracle. Until I get closer, I cannot hear what she is saying. It sounds like gibberish, but she finally speaks.

"You are far from home Girl on Fire and Boy with the Bread," the Oracle says.

I feel a chill, but her next words make me want to run away, make me want to run home and hide.

"The Girl on Fire and the Boy with the Bread shall enter the Games again," she says. "But looming in your future, there is a war. A war that never was, yet a war that threatens to destroy the Universe. You must stand with the Doctor at the front line. You will be the last defense, and if you fail, then everything you know will be destroyed, and everyone you care about will have never existed."

"How do you know?" I demand. I am terrified of what she says. I do not know why, but for some reason I know she is telling the truth.

"I see all of time and space," says the Oracle. "I know all that ever happened or ever will, and all that ever could. I also know the one you travel with, the one who is in his eleventh life. The one who blazes at the center of the Universe, the one whose greatest trial awaits."

"What do you mean his eleventh life?" I ask.

Peeta died once in the Quarter Quell, but he was revived by Finnick Odair. At the time, I didn't think it was possible once let alone ten times. I'm also curious about the 'blazes at the center of the Universe bit', but I'm afraid it will raise more questions than answers.

"There are many strange and wonderful things you will see," says the Oracle, ignoring my question. Everyone seems to be doing that lately, and I don't like it. All I want is some straight answers so I don't become a piece in somebody else's game again.

"But beware," the Oracle continues. "Your life will be in jeopardy as you travel. You two must protect each other at any cost. And tell the Doctor to beware the Bovine Clunk Edge."

"The Bovine Clunk Edge?" Peeta repeats. The words make no sense to me either, so when he looks at to me to see if I can make any sense of them, I only shrug and shake my head.

"What does it mean?" Peeta asks.

I wait for her to continue, but I'm only met with silence. Slowly, I move to the hole, and look in. All I see is a tail end of the white robe as the Oracle leaves.

"Wait!" I demand. But the Oracle is gone.

"She's gone Katniss," Peeta says.

"How does she know any of this?" I ask. "How can she say those things?" I feel hysteria rising as everything she said finally reaches me. I do not want to enter the Games again, do not want to relive the nightmare of the Arena. Peeta however is calm. He holds me close.

"Maybe she means that you'll go back in to save Rue," Peeta says, knowing exactly which part of the Oracle's prediction was causing me distress.

I had not considered that possibility before. Rue had been another tribute in my first Games that I had allied with. She had been killed and there was nothing I could do to save her. Now however there might be a chance to stop her death too. I add Rue to my mental list of people to save.

"And no matter what happens, I promise I'll protect you," Peeta says.

"And I you," I respond. I feel calmer now. As long as Peeta is with me, I have little to fear.


	4. The Tournament

When the sunlight steams through the window of the hotel room, I eagerly get out of bed. The mattress is the most uncomfortable place I've ever slept including the trees in the Arena at my first Hunger Games. I'm also fairly sure that there were fleas, despite the Doctor's assurances that he took care of it.

It didn't help to convince me when all he did was wave his sonic screwdriver over it like a magic wand. The random proclamations of "Expelliarmus!" from the Doctor didn't help me feel better either.

I yawn and stretch, then wash up using a basin full of water I filled last night. Whatever point of time we're in doesn't have running water which is a luxury that we had in 12 even during the worst times, and I wonder how these people survive without it.

As I wash my face, neck and hands, I start thinking about yesterday's events. After our audience with the Oracle, Peeta and I decided to only mention the bizarre 'Bovine Clunk Edge' warning the Oracle had told us to relay to the Doctor. The rest of our questions we decided to keep to ourselves until I am convinced that we can trust the Doctor.

After that we had headed down from Delphi, visiting a couple smaller temples until we got to the main town, built on the side of the mountain halfway between Delphi and the valley floor. There we had explored for a few hours until we had found a hotel that seemed halfway decent. I had asked the Doctor why we couldn't just sleep in the TARDIS. He had said something about "living the real experience" and how "sleeping in the TARDIS is boring".

As if thinking about him summons him, the Doctor bounds through the door of the room Peeta and I share. "Bovine Clunk Edge?" the Doctor asks.

"That's what the Oracle said," Peeta says as attaches his prosthetic leg.

"But it doesn't mean anything," insists the Doctor. "Are you sure that's what she said?"

"Positive," I say, somewhat irritated. This is the fourth or fifth time he's asked that question and our answer never changes.

"It's nonsense," says the Doctor. "And I should know. I'm full of nonsense. Brilliant nonsense, but nonsense all the same. But I can't shake the feeling that it's important." He runs a hand through his hair. "At any rate, it's a big day today. You've got your archery tournament in about four hours, so we should head up to the arena."

Peeta and I follow the Doctor down to the dining room. After a breakfast of roast pig, fruits, various cheeses, and some bread, all washed down with goat's milk, we follow the Doctor up the mountain to the arena.

The climb up, though strenuous, isn't too difficult. And we aren't the only ones. As we climb we pass others, some with bows, most without. The closer we get to the top, the more people there are until we finally reach the arena.

The arena is tiny compared to the ones I've been in. It's no more than two hundred yards long and fifty wide. The center is the lowest point with stone benches ringing it. There are five levels of benches that run all the way around the middle, only interrupted by a large stone box on the side closest to the mountain.

Below it is a large opening to a cavern. The entrance has a stone arch that has carvings on every stone. From where we are, I can't make them out. Before I have time to get a closer look, the Doctor is ushering me and Peeta towards a line of archers.

"This way," says the Doctor. "You'll have to enter your name first. Then you can start shooting things."

For a moment, I have a flashback to the Reapings. How we were all lined up and forced to sign in. I hesitate but force myself to get in the line. Unlike the Games, this tournament will not end with deaths.

It takes several hours after signing in for the tournament to start. We have to wait for the wrestling event to finish, then there's an opening ceremony and a speech given by a frail looking old man in white robes about Apollo's defeat of Python and the importance of sending the finest warriors in Greece to the Gods.

Then the tournament finally starts. Initially there are about one hundred archers. One by one, they stand at one end of the stadium and shoots arrows at three targets, placed at various distances.

Those that fail to get perfect shots on all three are eliminated. After the first round, there are maybe fifty of us left. Then the tournament gets hard. When I started, I assumed that none of the other archers would have my skills since I spent most of my life hunting in the woods outside District 12.

What I failed to realize was that these people rely on hunting for food too, and at least several of them are easily my equal, if not superior to me. I only learn this because I start talking to the others around me. Among them is the archer from yesterday, and his companion. I learn their names, Secelin and Herimiss respectively, and that they are brothers.

Though I am a good archer, at least compared to many others, my real difficulty comes when the stationary targets are removed, and a large pile of clay discs and a crude launcher are brought out. I can hit moving objects easily, but when I have to hit six or more, I start having difficulties.

As we pass into the fifth round, the launcher fires six of the clay discs, and I manage to shoot five of them. The sixth I miss, but manage to reload and shoot it before it hits the ground. Most of the other archers fail in this round, leaving only eleven archers for the sixth round.

I watch, with a feeling of hopelessness, as seven clay discs are loaded on the launcher. I feel more hopeless when, of the seven before me, only two succeed in bringing down all seven targets. But Secelin, the archer from yesterday fails, and I feel slightly more confident. All I need to do now is win this round.

When it's my turn, I step up to the stone line at one end of the stadium. I ready myself mentally before nodding to the men working the launcher. One of them pulls a lever and seven clay discs go flying in different directions. I shoot arrow after arrow at them, not waiting to see if the previous arrow struck before firing at the next target.

The only guide I have is the sound of breaking clay. By my count, I've broken five. The last two are now dangerously close to the ground. There is no way I can shoot twice before they hit. Instead, I take a step to my right so they line up and fire an arrow. I watch as it shatters one disc then continues on to shatter the second before it can hit the ground.

The crowd cheers wildly, and I almost want to applaud myself. Never before have I made such a shot and it was more luck than skill that it worked. As I take my place at the back of the line, the announcer, a man wearing a black chiton, has to fight to get the crowd to quiet down.

When they do, the round resumes. Only Herimiss passes, leaving only me and three other archers for the eighth round. I feel somewhat glad that at least Herimiss has gotten in. If I can't win, I want him too.

As I wait for the next round to start, Secelin approaches me. "I was wrong," is all he says as he proffers his bow to me.

"Keep it," I say. "I like mine more."

His head jerks up, a look of surprise on his face. When he realizes I'm serious he starts thanking be profusely as tears of joy run down his face. At first I don't understand his reaction, but then he mentions that the bow was given to him by his father who is now dead.

After thanking me for what must be the hundredth time, my turn comes again, and I step forward, grateful for an excuse to get away. I nod to the men manning the launcher again, noting with a sinking feeling the eight targets I must shoot. If Gale were with me, it would be easy. But by myself, the odds are not in my favor.

I manage to shoot six, but can only watch in frustration as the last two shatter on the ground of the far side of the arena. The crowd applauds politely as I walk to the benches where the Doctor and Peeta wait. Though I won't admit it, the disappointment of failure holds my chest like a vice.

The Doctor grins and gives me two thumbs up. Peeta gives me a reassuring hug as I sit on the stone bench next to him. The three of us turn our attention back to the arena where the last few archers are starting on the final round. I watch as one by one, they fail until Herimiss is the only one left.

When the discs launch, he is already firing arrows. I watch in awe as every target shatters within a matter of seconds. Then the crowd roars in approval. It continues for a minute or so before people start standing. The ovation goes on for another ten minutes or so before the man in the black chiton puts an end to it.

Standing at the center of the arena, he starts speaking and the crowd is riveted by his every word. "As demanded by Medusa and her Angels," Next to me the Doctor stiffens when the man says 'Angels', "We have found the greatest athlete to send through the labyrinth so they may arrive at Mount Olympus to live among the Gods forever!"

The crowd cheers wildly, but next to me, the Doctor grips the railing as the man below continues his speech. "Also as dictated by Medusa and her Angels, any willing to live among the Gods as servants may enter the labyrinth. But only the worthy shall make the trip without being dragged down to the pits of Tartarus."

Before I realize what's happening, The Doctor hops over the railing and into the arena. But he isn't the only one. There are about twenty others that are entering the arena and walking to the cavern's entrance I noticed earlier. But the Doctor heads straight for the man in the black chiton.

Peeta and I share a confused glance before we follow the Doctor. We have to jog to catch up, and when I see the Doctor's face, I reconsider my decision to follow him. His expression is a mix of fear and a cold anger that makes me think of a snowstorm that threatens to bury everything in its path.

"What Angels?" the Doctor demands.

The man in the black chiton turns to face the Doctor. "The servants of the Gods," the man replies. "The Weeping Angels."

The Doctor's eyes slightly widen in fear, but the hint of cold anger doesn't leave. "And what do they do?" the Doctor asks.

"They determine the worthiness of those who would join the Gods," the man says. "If you have any doubt about your worthiness, I advise you not enter. But if you believe yourself to be truly faithful, then you shall pass them unharmed. Now, if you'll excuse me." The man walks towards the cavern's entrance where Herimiss waits with the twenty that left the stands.

The Doctor turns to us. "If you want to go home, I'll take you now," he says. "I won't blame you for not wanting to face the Weeping Angels."

"What are they?" Peeta asks.

The Doctor looks grim. "The Weeping Angels are the deadliest, most malevolent beings in the Universe," he says. "When you see them, they're statues. But when you blink, when you look away, they will kill you. And they're fast, faster than you can imagine."

"I'm not worried," Peeta says. "I have yet to see anything Katniss can't bring down with her bow."

The Doctor smiles slightly. "Despite your vote of confidence, I have yet to meet someone who can kill stone," he says. Then his face grows serious. "This will be the most dangerous thing you've ever done. There is a possibility that you will die. If you want to go back, now is your only chance. Or you can stay and help me, the choice is yours."

I know Peeta will go along with whatever I do. I am afraid of losing him, but this opportunity to save my father and sister is impossible for me to turn down. I see this danger as a test. If I succeed, I can save them. If I run away as the Doctor suggests, I will never have a chance of seeing them.

I know, despite whatever danger we face, that I must go on. But I vow, no matter what, that I will protect Peeta as I know he will protect me. I look into the Doctor's eyes. "After you," I say.


	5. Medusa and the Angels

Ahead of us, the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver like a flashlight. The bright light from the tip illuminates the interior of the cave. Behind me, Peeta holds a torch, while I draw an arrow and nock it.

The others that stepped down from the arena have already entered the cave, despite the Doctor's attempts to keep them out. Failing that, the Doctor took a torch and handed it to Peeta before entering the cave. I hesitate at the entrance.

Ever since my father's death in the mine, I have had a fear of dying underground. Which is pointless because if I died I would end up underground anyway. Peeta stands next to me as he lights the torch.

"We can wait here," he says, easily picking up on the fear that I desperately try to hide.

"No," I say steeling myself. "We have to do this." Before I can think about it, I force myself to step into the crushing darkness of the underground.

We travel for what feels like hours, though it is probably only a few minutes until we come to a massive cavern. I know this because the sound changes and because the walls, which I could see before, are lost in the darkness.

Ahead of us, I see what looks like a person. The Doctor moves closer to it, and it is illuminated by his sonic screwdriver. It looks like a statue of a young girl, no more than twelve. Behind her in the ring of torchlight, I can see other statues of people of various ages. The one thing they have in common is the look of terror on their faces.

"Are they Angels?" Peeta asks.

The Doctor waves his sonic screwdriver over one. Then the three prongs at the tip spring open and he stares at the stone as if it's telling him something important.

"No," the Doctor finally answers. "They're human. Or were. Somehow they've been turned to stone."

"How is that possible?" I ask.

"Their carbon atoms were rearranged," the Doctor answers. "I've never seen anything like this. And that's saying a lot since I've seen it all. Well, obviously not since I've never seen this before."

That's when the screams start. Then we are running, the light from the Doctor's screwdriver and Peeta's torch jolting wildly giving the cavern full of stone people a nightmarish aspect.

The further we go, the fewer statues there are. But ahead, I can see a flicker of torchlight from the group that entered before us. The Doctor heads straight for them and Peeta and I follow. Of those that entered, only four or five are huddled together, including Herimiss.

His bow is on the ground, broken in half. "There are monsters," he says trembling. "I can't fight them. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy!" he screams.

Then all around us, I can hear what sounds like the flapping of wings. I can't see what makes the sound since it is hidden in darkness, but I get the impression that it is something very large.

I turn back to the way we came, pulling my bowstring back. In the flickering torchlight, I can just make out a figure. It looks like it is made out of stone, but any details are lost in the darkness.

"I want to get a closer look," I say to Peeta. He nods then we slowly move forward.

We keep moving until the figure is revealed by the torchlight. It is a statue, but I don't remember seeing it. Unlike the other statues, this one has a peaceful look on its face and wings sprouting from its back.

"Get back and keep your eyes open!" The Doctor yells. "It's an Angel!"

"Then it's going to be a dead Angel," I say as I release the arrow. Instead of piercing the Angel like I expect, the arrow shatters. There is a screeching sound that rises and falls in short bursts.

"What is that?" Peeta asks nervously.

"They're laughing," answers the Doctor flatly.

I feel a sense of dread. For once in my life I'm facing something I cannot run from or fight. All I can do is die. I am truly regretting my decision to come down here. I choke back a scream as I step backwards until I join the pitiful few survivors, all of whom will likely be dead in the next few minutes. And there is nothing I can do.

Then I hear a stone fall. It takes all of my willpower to ignore it, to keep looking at the Angel. The rock hits my shoulder. Slowly, I look up. In the torchlight, I can see more Angels on the ceiling. They are all an identical stone grey color except for one which is a shiny black.

The black Angel spreads its wings and glides down to the ground faster than any bird I've ever seen. It lands and moves towards us, seeming to float. It moves so quickly that it is almost a nightmarish blur in the torchlight.

"I thought you said they couldn't move," says Peeta. I can hear the fear in his voice.

"They can't," says the Doctor. "This isn't an Angel."

The survivors all fall to the ground, groveling and begging for mercy, their pitiful pleas echoing off the stone walls. "Medusa," Herimiss says. "Please forgive me. I was not worthy."

"Look into my eyes," Medusa says. Her voice sounds like a high pitched shriek of stone being torn apart. "Look into my eyes and beg my forgiveness." Her voice is hypnotic and I find myself starting to look into her eyes.

"Don't look," the Doctor says in a low voice, looking at the floor. "Whatever you do, don't look at her eyes."

I look away, but from the corner of my eye, I can see Medusa's eyes slowly changing color from black to white. Herimiss stiffens and screams. He falls silent as, impossibly, he becomes stone. The few other survivors also scream in agony as they turn into stone too.

But the process isn't immediate. Various parts of them turn into stone which spreads. The entire time, they scream in agony, begging for mercy. Fortunately for the victims, it lasts only a few seconds, but they are a few seconds that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Against the wall," the Doctor orders me and Peeta. My bow being useless, I string it over my shoulder and pick up a torch that was dropped. I back up against the wall, wedging myself between Peeta and the Doctor.

"What are you?" The Doctor asks as Medusa turns to face us. "You look like a Weeping Angel, but it's a fact of their biology that they become quantum locked when any living organism sees them."

"You know much of the Weeping Angels," Medusa says. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

Medusa shrieks. It is a sound so loud and painful that I cover my ears. She then hisses at the Doctor. "You were a fool to come here Time Lord."

"Time Lord?" asks Peeta.

Medusa turns to Peeta. "Face changers," she says. "The lost race that stood at the Gates of Time until they were all destroyed."

Before I can digest this bit of information, Medusa turns to the Doctor. "I am a mutation Doctor. Created by my sisters to lead us in the war that is coming."

"What war?" asks the Doctor. "What war could be so terrible that it required creating you?"

"The war that never was Doctor," hisses Medusa. "The war that stands at the edge of time and space. The war that will decide the future of the Universe."

I feel a chill. Again, I have a feeling that, despite my disbelief, what Medusa said is true as I knew what the Oracle said was true. But there are still a few things that don't make sense. And if I'm going to die, I may as well know why.

"Why do you kill them?" I ask, surprised at how strong and steady my voice sounds, despite the terror that crushes my chest.

"To stop this world from being destroyed," Medusa answers, pointing to the far wall.

I don't see anything at first, but my eyes finally adjust and I can make out crack that spreads across the wall. There is a soft blue glow coming from it. "On the other side of that bridge is the heart of a star," she continues. "The energy we take from our victims is used to keep it shut. Otherwise this entire world would burn."

"You've never cared about this planet before," The Doctor asks. "Why start now? And how do you get these people to come down here willingly?"

"These humans feared us at first," Medusa answers. "But I convinced them that we guarded the path to the Gods, and now they come in droves. And they beg Doctor. They beg us to kill them rather than being doomed to a place that does not exist. These humans are so easy to manipulate."

I feel my fear slowly being replaced by hate. These Angels like the Capitol, using people for their own ends. But in some ways, they are worse.

"As for why we care," says Medusa as she starts moving closer to us. "We do not. We are only using these people to further our own ends. At the culmination of the Pythian Games, we will have enough energy to move the bridge to points throughout the history of human kind. We will feed on them until we are truly Gods. Then we shall destroy the Universe and recreate it according to our desires."

"Hold onto something," the Doctor says. Peeta grabs what looks like a hand-hold in the wall. I wrap my arms around Peeta and hold on as tightly as possible. The Doctor grips another handhold and pulls out his sonic screwdriver, pointing it at the crack.

"A sonic screwdriver?" Medusa laughs. "What can such a pitiful tool do against us?"

"That really depends," answers the Doctor. "I could just use it as a flashlight that none of you can ever drain the power from, or if you're clever, and I am quite clever, I could use it to do this," he says as he activates his screwdriver.

The crack on the far wall grows wider. The temperature starts rising, and a bright light fills the room, illuminating everything. Then I feel something pulling me toward the crack. It's barely noticeable at first, but it grows stronger.

Soon my feet are no longer on the ground, but are instead being pulled towards the crack. I cling to Peeta even tighter, hoping that his prothstetic leg doesn't fall off since I have slid down far enough that it's the only thing I'm holding onto.

I look towards the crack and watch as the statues and Angels start falling into the crack, crashing into each other in their uncontrollable fall. I look at Medusa, but she is gripping the ground tightly.

She shrieks something incoherent before she somehow throws herself at us. Her hand grips my ankle. I know instantly that I have no chance of escape. Her grip is too firm and she's too heavy. But at least I can save Peeta. I look up at him. "I love you," I say.

And I let go.

"No!" Peeta shouts. He reaches for me, but I have already fallen too far away.

The Doctor's hat falls by me and covers Medusa's face. I feel her let go and look down to see her trying to uncover her face. She tosses the hat aside and attempts to grab the ground but fails. She shrieks as she falls into the crack.

The heat is intense now, and I feel myself burning, and know that I will be dead within seconds. I can only think about how much I hate burns before the pain becomes so unbearable that I pass out and there is nothing but darkness.


End file.
